‘I’ll Always Be Grateful’: Buck Showalter Reflects On Time As Orioles Manager

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Buck Showalter was let go as manager of the Orioles in October after the O’s had the most losses in the team’s history, but he says he’ll always be grateful for his eight-and-a-half years here in Baltimore.

He starts his letter by saying he was “at peace” when he was working at ESPN, but after meeting with Andy MacPhail about the Orioles job, he found that they “shared a real connection about doing things right and trying to put something together.”

Showalter said he already knew that Baltimore was a great baseball city, and Charm City had a “great blue-collar feel to it.”

“I knew that it kind of fit what I was looking for, a place that you could sink your teeth into and feel like you could make an impact and was in need of what you had the potential to bring,” Showalter wrote.

After taking the job, Showalter said he had “an open line of communication with Mr. Angelos and his family,” and they shared a love of the Orioles.

One thing Showalter touched on numerous times in his letter was the dedication of O’s fans.

He said he’ll “miss how much the fans embrace players from the past,” and how fans made sure there was “a home-field atmosphere” at Camden Yards.

Showalter also touched on his commitment to Baltimore and how he came to embrace the city as a whole.

“Whether it’s the Ravens, whether it’s the University of Maryland, whether it’s Navy, whether it’s talking about what a great hospital Johns Hopkins is, there’s a lot of great things to offer there, Fells Point, Little Italy,” Showalter added. “I can take you to a bad part of every city, and I can take you to a great part of every city. Baltimore’s no different.”

Although it may have ended on a sour note, Showalter did a lot of great things for the Orioles and the city of Baltimore. He said he understands that in today’s sports world, nothing lasts forever, but he is grateful for the years he spent here with the Orioles.

“I understand the shelf life of a manager. Eight-and-a-half years in one place, well, that doesn’t happen anymore in sports, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”